Festival preview : Slam Dunk Festival
02:07
There's only one week or so left before the biggest pop-punk/alt-rock and metalcore meeting of the year, and I, for one, am excited about it. (I have been excited since I have recuperated from last year's edition, but, you know). Slam Dunk is one of these festivals I couldn't see myself missing for the world, and 2017 will mark my seventh year attending the event. Last year, I retraced my most memorable experiences, from impromptu first aid trips after Bury Tomorrow to meeting A Rocket to the Moon, from Jägerbombs to almost meeting Parker Cannon. This year, as I am, again, foolishly going to all three days of the festival, I shall share my favourite and unmissable bands.
One last hurrah : We Are The Ocean (3:30 - 4:10 on the Jägermeister Stage)
The London quartet has announced they were calling it quits in January, and they will be performing their last ever shows at Slam Dunk, where they have played a grand total of six times throughout their career. If you were madly into the Alexisonfire, post-hardcore vibes of Nothing Good Has Happened Yet, if you fancy crying a little bit (a lot) to Young Heart or shaking it to the classic rock inspired Good for You, it's now or never.
(Another rule of their last sets is : if you spot me, give me alcohol in any way, shape or form. Your girl needs to drown her sorrows)
Social awareness : Stray From The Path (7:35 - 8:15 on the Impericon Stage)
Year in, year out, the heavier stages of Slam Dunk festival never fail to deliver the goods, and this year, the festival is offering us one of the finest bands at what they do/in this scene/ever/all of the above, Stray From The Path. The New Yorkers are known for giving explosive performances and having the capacity of turning any venue upside down in a minute, as well as being one of the most important and most politically engaged bands out there. Badge & a Bullet denounces police brutality, Outbreak is about the health industry, but it's D.I.E.P.I.G, calling out all the predators polluting the scene, that will get all my repressed anger this weekend.
A decade of greatness : Enter Shikari (9:25 - 10:45 on the Jägermeister Stage) and We The Kings (7:05 - 7:55 on the Monster Stage)
Two bands I love are celebrating the ten year anniversary of their début albums. On the heavy side of the spectrum, there are festival headliners Enter Shikari, who will be performing Take to the Skies in full and will, without a doubt, set the place on fire and see some of the biggest moshpits of the weekend. On the lighter side of things, American pop-punks We The Kings will be playing their self-titled debut album front to back, giving life once again to scene anthems such as Secret Valentine or the iconic Check Yes Juliet. The excitement for that one is so real I might try and find my old Glamour Kills t-shirts and sport them underneath waistcoats like it's 2007 all over again.
Because Slam Dunk is the official start of the summer : With Confidence (5:20 - 5:55 on the Key Club Stage)
How shocking of me to suggest the Sydney lot that I have seen five times already, and that I will follow around the country before and after Slam Dunk. Real surprising of me. If you think about it, though, Slam Dunk is the official beginning of summer and of festival season, it's the closest thing we will ever have to Warped Tour, and summer, sunshine appropriate tunes in your mixtape are a must. Who could deliver them better than With Confidence, I ask? No one, that's who. Their début album Better Weather is tailor made for having a boogie in the sunshine with your friends, which is what Slam Dunk is all about. The fact that they are one of the finest pop-punk bands around is a lovely bonus, too.
Your annual dose of pop-punk : Seaway (7:20 - 7:55 on the Key Club Stage)
The pop-punk names never disappoint on the Slam Dunk line up, and this year, there are a few of them that I am very excited to see again, or finally see for the first time. The band I’m most looking forward to, though, is Canadian outfit Seaway. I’ve been listening to them for a couple of years but have never managed to properly, I’ve missed all their tours, for some reason, but not this time. I will finally get my moment to Your Best Friend, just you watch. (Or maybe don't)
Got moves? : Set It Off (8:20 - 9:00 on the Key Club Stage)
If you read some of the reviews I publish here, you may have noticed one thing I often refer to : my absolutely terrible dance moves. I have been crowned queen of dad dancing, and I can be seen shaking it off to absolutely every band on the planet. Set It Off are among my favourites when it comes to having a boogie, thanks to their ridiculously catchy pop tunes ideal for slut-dropping, the running man, shimmying, jellyfishing or pretending I'm Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kickboxer. The Floridians manage to cater to my love for pop-music and to my belonging to the alternative scene, and every single one of their UK appearances is a must for me.
The return of the kings : Don Broco (8:00-8:55 on the Jägermeister Stage)
Some of the best UK bands : Decade (2:30 - 3:00 on the Key Club Stage) & Milk Teeth (3:10 - 3:40 on the Signature Brew Stage)
Slam Dunk is also always a great place to catch some of the best UK bands out there, and at the minute, who's better than Decade? Fresh off a European tour with rock's rising stars Counterfeit, the Bath-based outfit will provide some of the catchiest songs you'll hear all weekend and, without a doubt, one of the most heartfelt and brilliant performances. If, like me, you missed their UK tour in March, head to the Key Club Stage and catch up!
Another UK band that has been making waves this past year is Milk Teeth. Led by Becky Blomfield and her unique voice, the punk band is known for electric live performances that never disappoint. Their Slam Dunk sets will also be the occasion for them to premiere their brand new song, Owning Your Okayness - and for everyone else to realise they are far more than just okay.
It's just not Slam Dunk without Bury Tomorrow (4:35 - 5:15 on the Jägermeister Stage)
When the festival announced they had special guests, everyone and their nan knew they were talking about Bury Tomorrow. You didn't even need to be in the know to guess, as you couldn't escape them at Slam Dunk if you tried. The band has played in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 (where they replaced Emmure), and even when they don't do band sets, you still get frontman Dani Winter-Bates and bass player Davyd Winter-Bates playing some sweet tunes on the DJ stage for you. This year, they are making their way to the main stage, and there's no doubt they will be bringing the walls of death and the carnage.
A moment of emotion : Sorority Noise (2:15 - 2:45 on the Signature Brew Stage)
2017 will be Sorority Noise's first ever Slam Dunk appearance, and if there's one thing I'd recommend, it's to head to the Signature Brew Stage and get ready to be swept off your feet. I have been lucky enough to see the American band twice already, and their performance has always broken my heart in the best possible way. Their songs are delicate and emotional, truthful and explosive when you expect it less. If they dare playing Mononokay, I'll be lying on the ground in a puddle of my own tears, and when they belt out Using, I'll be having the time of my life.
A spiritual experience : Tonight Alive (9:30 - 10:30 on the Key Club Stage)
Seeing Tonight Alive on a stage, for me, has always been something magical, but these past few years, when their importance in my life has dramatically grown, it has become nothing short of almost spiritual, mostly thanks to frontwoman Jenna McDougall's speeches and message. The outfit's performances are always uplifting and leave you feeling refreshed and inspired. Music-wise, their soaring pop and alt-rock blend is perfect for a dance and a crowdsurf, here and there, and I have a sneaky feeling that we're to expect something unique and special from their headline set at Slam Dunk.
Why haven't they played yet? : The Maine (5:50 - 6:40 on the Monster Stage)
2017 will also be The Maine's first Slam Dunk appearance - hard to believe when the band has been around for pretty much a decade. Their fifty minute set will be a great occasion to hear some tunes out of their newly released fifth full length, Lovely Little Lonely, as well as some classics like English Girls, Right Girl, My Heroine or Girls Do What They Want. Considering the fiery atmosphere and the stupidly loud singalongs of their recent Electric Ballroom headliner, it makes no doubt their performance will be something to see.
Get your crowdsurf on : Beartooth (5:40 - 6:20 on the Jägermeister Stage)
No one does ridiculously heavy yet ridiculously catchy quite like Beartooth, and the quality of their live show isn't to prove anymore. The last time I saw Beartooth live, a group of people dressed as lobsters opened up a large circle pit in the fresh Download mud at 12 on a Saturday morning, and the last time they played Slam Dunk, they had Rob and Si from Don Broco as guests. It's safe to say their return to the mighty festival will bring chaos to the building, and I shall be there to do a terrible singalong to The Lines. (When am I not)
Sadly, some of these clash, and I'd need to tear my body in two (at least) to comfortably catch all the bands I want to see.
These are also not the only bands I would recommend, and I have made quite the extensive playlist to compile all the music I'd love to hear played live this weekend. (I'm also holding out the hope that Andrew McMahon will play The Mixed Tape. If you hear me, pal, I'll get you a burger, a beer, or even both)
These are also not the only bands I would recommend, and I have made quite the extensive playlist to compile all the music I'd love to hear played live this weekend. (I'm also holding out the hope that Andrew McMahon will play The Mixed Tape. If you hear me, pal, I'll get you a burger, a beer, or even both)
0 comments